A known safety ski binding part includes a sole holder which can be pivoted about a transverse axis and a vertical axis and is held in a position in which it holds a ski shoe by a locking mechanism which yields after predetermined elevational or lateral release forces are exceeded and in which the effective release force is reduced with an increasing change of the direction from the vertical of the forces applied, preferably to a pregiven limit. Two locking parts of the locking mechanism are provided at separated locations on a locking part carrier which is constructed as a swingable lever. One complementary locking part is provided on the rear area of the sole holder and the other complementary locking part is provided on a structural part which is fixed with respect to the ski. The lever is pivotally supported on a holding axis which extends parallel to the transverse axis, which holding axis is in turn arranged in a support member which is pivotal about a pivot pin which forms the vertical axis and is anchored in a base plate, if desired against the force of a return spring, and which lever has on its side which does not face the two locking parts thereon a control surface which is biased by a release spring.
A safety binding of the above-mentioned type is described in Austrian Pat. No. 294 645 (corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,650). In this conventional design, which relates both to a front jaw and also to a heel holder, it is disadvantageous that a transverse movement of the binding will not only lead to a release of the transverse locking device, but at the same time permit play in the lift locking device. This is disadvantageous in the case of the use of this conventional ski binding as a heel holder, because a heel holder lift locking is supposed to be somewhat insensitive to purely lateral forces in order to assure a securer ski guiding.
A similar safety ski binding has become known from German OS No. 18 06 780 (corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,545). In this binding, the two locking devices for the elevational and lateral release forces are defined by a common locking member and by a locking part carrier which cooperates with this locking member and is effective both for the elevational and also for the lateral release. The carrier has thereby control surfaces which are decisive for the elevational and lateral release. A disadvantage of this conventional design lies in both the locking element and also the carrier being responsible for two release devices. From this it follows that, in particular due to structural conditions, compromises must be accepted. Practical experience has shown that while these compromises were adequate, they were not entirely satisfactory, and for a product which actually was sold on the market, a further cam was created for controlling the lateral release, which cam is provided between the base plate and the housing of the ski binding. This embodiment in turn has the disadvantage that snow, ice or the like can accumulate between the base plate and housing, which can result in the release operation being erratic.
It is also known from FIG. 6 of Austrian Pat. No. 338 151 to arrange a swingably supported lever between the two locking elements, which lever is loaded on its backside by a spring-loaded slide member and holds this slide member in position with its portion which faces the sole down-holding means. The sole holder can be swung up about an axis which extends transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the ski, which axis is arranged above the slide member and approximately at the level of the support surface of the sole holder. The vertical axis about which the sole holder is pivotal during lateral loads is formed by two semiaxles or stub shafts which in turn are supported on the lever or the sole holder which is supported on the transverse axis and which can be swung upwardly. This has the result that the transverse axis, upon the occurrence of lateral forces, in the end effect is stressed by thrust forces which must be absorbed by the two bearings of such axis, which can cause the axles to easily be worn out. This circumstance would result in an undesired wobbling of the sole holder.
Austrian Pat. No. 305 843 (corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,219) furthermore suggests creating the second locking arrangement between the sole holder and a locking member which is arranged on the ski and is approximately cam-plate-shaped. Even though this design has proven itself in practice, it is somewhat disadvantageous, because stepping into the released binding with difficult ground conditions requires some skill.
It is furthermore known from Austrian Pat. No. 327 759 (corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,277) to support the release spring by means of a spring cage in the release lever and to create in this manner a unit which is pivotal about a common swivel axis. This solution permits a swinging up of the heel holder, but does not permit a release of the same in the direction of forces which act diagonally in the space and cause twisting falls.
Further, German OS No. 28 38 904 describes a solution which has been created substantially by combining the features of the two last-mentioned Austrian patents and which also contain their disadvantages. The conventional designs have furthermore the disadvantage that, with an increasing lateral release, the lateral holding mechanism becomes increasingly sensitive to wobbling, which can cause the ski guiding, if a release should not yet take place, to become inexact.
A purpose of the invention is to bring help here and to provide a safety ski binding of the above-mentioned type in which the lever is supported on the complementary locking part which is provided on the ski-fixed structural part.